25 March 2013

Charms Cafe @ 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya

Charms cafe, offers a range of Asian flavours ranging from local Malaysian delights to hot Indonesian cuisines, that mostly cater to local eaters .As I walk pass by the "flavours of Asia" cafe , I was always attracted to their design of homely atmosphere and Asian authenticity. It was the seduction of strong sizzling smell of BBQ lamb permeating through the air which led me to turn my way back here and experiment!

Lamb Charmer (RM 19.50)

Living up to this dish name, it certainly charmed my eyes to order the exact same thing as the table beside me did. Their signature dish was a mini representation of grilled lambs on a fire lit stove. Seasoned with black pepper and chili flakes, the lamb tasted juicy and was cooked to perfection while the flames enlightens it's taste and temperature However, it is advisable to flip it over time to time (or just blow out the flames) or you will end up with an overcooked burnt black lamb (the table beside me did burnt his lamb). Their lamb charmer dish was also served with onion rice sided with chili paste, lettuce and garlic.(see pic below)

Lamb Charmer (RM 19.50)

Creamy Turkey Pasta (RM 15.90)

Honestly, I was afraid that their pasta was a disaster as I have many bad experiences of pasta meal gone bad. However, generally an average rating from me as not many cafes are able to combine a balanced proportion of cream and pasta; either way its too creamy, or just too dry. I loved how the garlic crunches in every bite that gives a little spice to it. Then, it is served with sliced mushrooms and diced turkey meat. The only one thing I did not like was the turkey meat was a wee bit salty.(looks like packaged diced turkey to me)

Yong Tau Fu (RM 9.90 for 8 pcs)

Finally, our last dish was a Yong Tau Foo that combines a mixture of ladies fingers, red chilis, fish paste, brinjals, bittergourds, fried dumplings, and vegetables. After slurping some, I find their soup was tasted heavily with vegetables and salt while the meat/vege tasted average to me. Since its a pork free restaurant, fish paste is used instead in the fillings which makes a little different than Chinese stalls' Yong Tau Foo.

Saigon Phin Daklak (RM 5.50)

Saigon Phin Daklak, or Vietnamese coffee usually is strong and sweet in its flavouring. Using a Vietnamese filter that looks like a hat and sits upon the top of a coffee cup, just wait till the coffee grind inside dissolves and drips into the cup. Then, either way stir it with the condensed milk & enjoy your coffee with a piece of biscuit served!

Sparkling Syrup Bandung (RM 4.00)

Although I'm a big fan of Syrup Bandung, mixing it with soda makes a weird in-between Sprite and Sirap flavour as the soda kills the sweetness of the milk & rose cordial essence. Not my favourite so far, but maybe some others might like the taste.

Charms Cafe

Charms Cafe

Overall, having thoughts that Charms was just another simple Asian cafe, it has its own unique style of presenting their Asian flavours especially their Lamb Charmer. However, I would hope they would revamp their menu design as it was a wee bit sad approach for me.